Flexible-box machine.



E. G. STAUDE.

FLEXIBLE BOX MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1911.

Patented 52111.5, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. G. STAUDE. FLEXIBLE BOX MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1911.

Patnted Jan. 5, 1915.

m'wws 5 BHEETS-BHEET 2.

INVENTOI? gag/$55423 .w g M Q E. G. STAUDE. FLEXIBLE BOX MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1911 1,123,945,, Patented Jan.5,1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3v 777/87: 2 arfow/hfci m 99. g J V 'l E. G. STAUDE.

FLEXIBLE BOX MACHINE.

APPLICATION IILBD JUNE 19, 1911.

Patented Jan. 5,1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N/T/YEJJEJ E. G. STAUDE.

FLEXIBLE BOX MACHINE;

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1911.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

//V VE/YTOR E 0 5 6. w n

a w L M xi mf M nm v r i WDWIN GUSTAVE'STAUDE, OE MINNEAPOLIS,MINNESQTA.

rLExrBLn-nox MACHINE.

Twill whom it may concern 'Be' it known that I, 'EDWI'N haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in F lexible-Box Machines, of

' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to achines for making 'fiexible'boxes and paricularly to that Mtype' of box used in packing packages ,of

walls of the package. 1

A further object is to provide a machine of large capacity and'one inwhich the desired folds will be easily and quickly made. Other objectsof the invention will appear from the following detailed description.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly point-' edout in the'claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan view of a box making machineqembodymg my invention, Fig.. 2is a longitudinal, sectional view on the line u-u of Fig.1, Fig. 3

is a.transverse sectional view on the line v''v .of Fig. 1, Fig. 4: is asectional View on the line wwof Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is asectional view on theline 00-40 of Fig. 1, Fig. '6 is a sectional view on the line y-y ofFig. 1, Fig. 7 isa sectional view on the line. 2 e of Fig. 1, Figs. 8and 9 are detail views of the former bars, Figs. 10, 11, 12, and 13 areperspective views, showing the 'box blank and the successive folds madetherein in the process of forming the box.

In the drawing, 2 represents the frame of the machine, 3 is a blankfeeder belt by which the blanks are delivered to themachine. v

4 represents speed rolls. I

' 5 and 6 are .upper and lower rolls for the belts 7 and 8. A third belt9 is mountedmn a feed wheel 10. (See Fig. 3). A fourth belt 9, (seeFigs. 2 and 4), is carried by the roll 9"- located near the glue pot andsup- 1 ported by a bar 10'. (See Figs. 2 and 3).

spbciflcation of Letters Patent. V

' Application-filed June 19. 1911. Serial No.'-684,169.

V G. s raunmof. Minneapolis, Hennepin county, Minnesota,.

Patented JamS, 19 1 5.

" A shaft is mounted'in brackets 12 on the machine frame and has hubs 13capable of rotary or longitudinal adjustment on said shaft and normallylocked by a clamp 14. Hangers 15 have slots 16 in their upper e ds toreceive bolts 17 which pass through I sald slots into thehubs 13. Formerbars-18 are'carried by the lower-ends ofthe hangers 15 'and providedwith folder plates 18',

preferably of sheet metal. Theblanks are brought into engagement withthese folder plates, as will hereafterappear. A hub 19 1s mounted on theshaft 11 and has a forwardly extending, forked arm 20 and a rearwardlyextending arm 21. The arm 20 has a pivotal connection at 22 with acentrally arranged presser frame 23- in which is mounted an idle roll 24engagingthe upper feed belt 7 suitable-tension being ma1n tained-"onsaid-belt by the belt tightener 25..

Tension devices are mounted in the frame 23 to engage the lower stretchof the belt 7,

but as these form no part of my-presentinvention, being fullyillustrated and described in mypending application, Serial No.615,999,.filedMarch 21, 1911, I will -makenoclaim to thesame herein. I preferalso to provide idlerolls 11" engaging the belt 8 on the underside ofthemachine, and av tension roll 12 adjustably supported in a hanger 13'.

with the frame 23 and yieldingly holds said frame against verticalmovement, The standard 27 is mounted in a block 3Q and is capableofrotary and vertical adjustment there-.

in to allow thepressure on the frame 23 to be increased or decreased andalso permit the point of contact of the pin 28 with said frame to bevaried.

-I prefer to provide a guide 31on'the folder frame 31' on which guidethe block 30 is slidable,.so that the position of the block and pinsupporting standard can-be changed with respect to the frame 23. Theblanks are held down upon the feed belts by the former bars and by theweight of the frame 23, the friction between the upper and lower feedbelts being sufficie nt to msure the feeding of the blanks.

At the receiving end of the machine glue 4 pots 32 are provided havingsuitable bear:

. being immersed in the glue. Consequently,

as the shaft 34- is revolved the glue wheels 7 will beoperated also anda portion of the glue applied to th e under surfaces of the blank oneach longitudinal edge thereof, as indicated plainly, in Fig. 3. lhisoperation takes place as' the blank enters the machine from the feedbelts. The shaft 34 is capable of being withdrawn from the glue pots byendwise movement of the shafts to allow the removal of the glue wheelsor the assembling of them with the shaft in the pots.

On each side of the machine I provide folders 36 provided with laterallyextend..-

ing arms 37 and 38. The arms 37 are ada justable lengthwise in uprightstandards 39 supported in arms 40 mounted at; 41 on the machine frameand capable of horizontal adjustment thereon to permit the receivingends of the folders to be moved toward or from the feed belts. One ofthe' arms 38 is supported in a similar manner on a bracket 42 that isadjustable lengthwise of the machine bya guide 43 on the folder frame 43and the other arm 38 is supported in substantially the same manner asthe arms 37.

I am thus able to move the foldersv lengthwise on the machine, raise orlower them,

.and adjust them toward or' from one another until the proper workingposition is obtained. I prefer also to provide transverse screw shafts 22 and 2, (see Fig. 1) carrying" brackets 2' whereon the bars supportingthe folding mechanism are transversely adjustable across the machine.

- I do not, however, make claim to this feature of the machine inthisapplicatiomas it forms the subject-matter of a prior application,Serial No. 575,046, filed August After the blank' leaves the gluewheels, its edges contact with the inwardly inclined portions of thefolders 36, as indicated in Fig. 4, and as the blank is fed'along its 4edges are turned upwardly and inwardly around the edges 44 of thefolderplates 18', (see Fig. 4), said plates holding the blank in place andallowing the edges thereof to be turned inwardly along the score linespreviously formed therein. These folder plates are bent gradually from ahorizontal position at their receiving ends to a vertical position at 45and the inward curvature of the folders 36 carries them across theedges, of the folder plates at a point near the middle portion thereof,so that when the blanks reach the vertical portion 45 of these platesthe folders will lie between the plates, as shown in Fig. 4', and'theseinitial folds are bent in under the second fold by the initial bendingof the folders 36, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the edges of the blankpassing under the folders to allow the coeperation of the former. barswith the vertical portions 45 of the folder plates and perform theinitial steps of the second folding .operation. This is illustrated inFig. 5, where the upright portions 45 of the folder plates are clearlyshown cotiperating with the former bars to make the second fold in theblanks while the initial fold'is held inwardly by the contact of theblankedges with the folders'3 6. J v

Near the point where the blank passes out of engagement with the folderplates 18 I prefer to provide a secondary folder 46 hav-.

ing an arm 47 supported in. an upright standard corresponding to thesupport of the arms 38 and adjustable lengthwiseof the machine on abracket 42". j This secondary folder overhangs the folded edges of theblanks, as indicated in Fig. 6, said edge being fed along between thefolder 36 and the folder 46. .I prefer to. provide this secondary folder46 onon'e side of the machine only. On the o'pposite'side of the machineI prefer to .provide a t wistedbelt 48 carried at one end by a pulley 49that is adj ustable ina slot 50 in the machine frame, (see Fig. 4),vfor'the purpose of obtaining the desired tension of' the, belt. Abevel-faced pulley 51 engages the belt 48 and completes the secondfold,"thestud 52 of said pulley being vertically adjustable in a bracket.53

that is mounted for adjustment lengthwise in the machine on the guide31.A straightfaced pulley 55 is similarly mounted near the pulley 51 andoperates to press the glued edge of the blank down upon the middleportion thereof, the pressure being suflicient to cause adhesion betweenthe-contacting portions of the blank and hold the edges thereof in theirfolded position. On the opposite side of the machine from the belt 48 apressure belt-56isprovided. This belt 56 is supported on pulleyscorresponding sub:

.stantially to'the pulley 55 and mounted in' a similar manner on themachine and I prefer to designate them by the same reference numerals.One edge of the blank is delivered to this belt and its .function is toforce down the folded edges, pressing the glued'edge of inseamthe'blanli firmly against the middle portion in substantially the samemanner as the opposite edge of the blank is operated upon.

The successive steps in folding the blank are plainly illustrated inFigs. 10 to 13 inclusive; The first fold is made 'at point A, the gluebeing applied to the edge B. r The.

second fold is made at C, as indicated. in

Fig. 12, and when the box is folded the op-.

erator raises the folded edgesto formthe side walls E of the box,asindicated in Fig.

13, the glued edge adhering to the blank and a bend being made at F"bythe operator when the folded portion is raised to form the wall section.These wall sections are,

as shown, substantially rectangular in cross section and operate tostiffen the box materially. The box shown in Fig. 18 is of the d typeused for packing articles, such as packages of gum, but may also beutilized as a container for other merchandise.

I claim as my inv7ention:

1. The combination, with means for feeding the blanks, of former bars,plates mountedthereon and formed witha gradual curve from theirreceiving ends rearwardly, folders disposed adjacent to said plates anden gaging the edges of the blanks and cooperating with the edges of saidplates to make an hiitial longitudinal fold on each side of the middleportion of the blank.

2. The combination, with. means for feeding the blanks, of formerbars,.plates mounted thereon, said plates having a substantiallyhorizontal portion and an upright portion, folders arranged to en agethe edges of the blanksand make the initial fold.

therein, the upright portions ofsaid plates engaging the blanksv andcoiiperating with said-bars to make a second fold, I

3. The combination, with means for feeding the blanks, of former bars,plates carried thereby and having substantially hori- 'zontal portionsat their receiving ends and inwardly curved portions forming acontinuation of said horizontal portions, and upright portions at thedischarge ends of said plates, formers codperating with the receivingends of said plates to make the initial fold in the blanks, the curvedand up? right portionsof said plates engaging the blanks andcoiiperatingwith said former bars to make the second fold in=the blanks, saidfolders having inwardly turned portions in position to'eng 'age theinitial foldsl during the-formation of the second fold.

4. The combination, with means for feeding the blanks, of former bars,sheet metal platesmounted thereon and having substantially horizontalreceiving ends and in wardly curved, portions, and upright dis chargeends, formers coiiperating with said receiving ends to make theinitialfold in-the blanks, the inwardly curved portions of said platesand the upright. portions-i thereof -cosaid pin downwardlylwith ayielding pres- .sure upon saidframe. i i

.plates to form, successively, primary and 'secondary foldsin thelongitudinaledges of operating with said formeis to-make the second foldin'the blanks. f

5. The combination, with means for feedng the blanks, of means formaking initial and secondary folds in the edges of the blanks a secondlongitudinal fold therein, with the a first fold and its edge broughtunder the second fold, and presser devices 'forbringing the glued edgeof the initial fold into contact Wi-th the upper surface of the blank.

7. The combination, with means for feeding the blanks, of a presserframe, a transverse shaft, an arm mounted thereon and pivotallyconnected with the middle portion w of said frame, and means yieldinglengaging the forward portion of said name' to hold it down to the work.

8. The combination, with a frame and means for feeding blanks therein,of-ya' 5 presser frame, a shaft, an arm mounted thereon, one end of saidarm having a pivotal connection with the middle portion of said frameanda yielding means engaging the discharge end of said frame to hold itma down to the work;

.9. The combination, with a frame, of

means for feeding the blanks, a presser frame, a transverse shaft, anarmmounted thereon and pivotally connected with the 105,

middle portion of said presser frame on, one side of said shaft, meansadjustably e onnecting said arm with said presser frame on the otherside of said shaft and holding the receiving end of said ward movement.

10. The combination, with a frame, of means for feeding the blanks, a.'presser frame, a horizontal arm whereon said presser frame is pivotallysupported, apin M5 a located beneath the discharge endof said :presserframe, asupport wherein said pin is slid'able; and a spring arranged tohold 11. The combination, -with means for gluing and feeding thetlii'anks, of former bars and blank engaging. plates mounted thereon,folders cotiperating with said the blanks on eh side ofthe middle" por-.tion thereof th" the primary folds and theiredges lindenthe secondaryfolds, said foldsbeingformedto provide sections rec we frame againstup-: Me I tangular'in cross section on each side of the blank whenunfolded, and meansfor pressing down the primary and secondary foldsupon the surface of the blank.

5 '12. The combination, with means for-feed ing the blanks, of meansforgluing the surface thereon near its longitudinal edges, I means forfolding the longitudinal edges'of the blank inwardly to make theinitiahfold v10 therein, means for making a second longimini-151 fold,with the initial fold and its edge under the second fold, and means forpressing the glued edge of the initial fold into oontactwith the surfaceof the blank.

